Introduction to Pillar Style
The introduction of Pillar Style is the first point at which the student will come to truly understand that there is madness to the method and that, unlike traditional staff styles, at the heart of Kitsui no Zouheishou lies a game. Stepping away from the fundamental principles of staff handling, the progression of the art from Fan to Pillar style becomes entirely unorthodox and therefore quite challenging in its break from expectations. Yet in the minds of its playful progenitors (and those who are ready to advance) the logic remains sound. Reliance between student and staff becomes a key tenet as their roles are reversed. At first, the Bo served as a living extension of the fighter’s core. Now it has become the disciple's turn to dance around their partner and rely on the other's strength, flexibility and durability. More tool than weapon, adepts of this Stage will begin to platform and actually use the Bo with its natural affordances of weight-bearing and obstruction in mind. For instance, by stabbing the tip of their Bo into a relatively soft surface like the ground in front of them or the bark of a nearby tree, the practitioner can effectively create a simple barricade and distance themselves from their opponent. Weaving in and out of the new space with the trustworthy pillar in place, the student may proceed to confuse their foe with ever-changing evasive patterns. Yet awareness of the immediate environment and their static partner's limitations is essential in judging how deep they must drive their weapon and how much weight they can then afford to place upon the staff. However, evasion means little if one cannot return to the fray with a new trick up their sleeve. The wielder will find that their Bo cannot remain stationary for too long lest their foe attacks it directly and so it remains ever on the move, as must its guardian. This kind of combat forces the student to work on their own flexibility and agility in order to successfully orbit the axis of their weapon wherever it may be placed. Equally, the act of stabbing a 5' length of wood into a firm surface is by no means an easy task, especially when only one hand might be available to apply the driving force. Luckily, training poles can be easily replaced while learning how to control pressure and precision. Strength and muscle toning take a significant leap over the course of the Stage and this in turn affects the pillar combinations available to the practitioner. Acrobatic Techniques The acrobatic feats introduced at this stage also take something of a leap in that they push the student's broad skills along a path tailored more towards the Kitsui no Zouheishou mentality. With personal creativity and versatility under any situation an ongoing pursuit, the immediate constrictions of this redirection will ultimately open the student's mind to an entirely new perception of acrobatic invention. With the staff in hand, one's movements begin to reflect the symbiosis: Hand/Elbow Stand: Depending on the stance of the practitioner, they will be able to perform a sustained handstand or elbow stand with one arm whilst utilizing their Bo with the other. Wheel Vault: A single-handed cartwheel initiated by a forceful dive to one side. Drunken Crab: The Kitsui no Zouheishou adept makes good use of their agility and gift for misdirection by evading attacks with a sudden drop to the ground, arching back into a crab position. However, instead of supporting themselves with both hands, they can employ the Bo like a pincer to be thrust into the ground behind their head and act as an anchor. Slingshot: Following on from the principle of using the grounded staff as a tether, the wielder relies on its flexible nature as they hold onto the weapon at any point along its length and swing around its axis, feet first. Regular Techniques Basic - Fool's Flick: Upon luring an opponent closer to the vertically placed Bo, its wielder will pull on the staff to make it snap back for that satisfying, albeit juvenile, THWACK! Advanced - Axeman's Bane: Upon luring an opponent closer to the vertically placed Bo, the adept drives the outer blade of their leading foot into the ground at its base in order to dislodge their staff and immediately grabs the free-falling upper end. With the Bo's reach now extended and weight fully on the forward foot, the adept can easily hop forward on the tail end of the technique to deliver a fierce stab at the opponent's shins followed by a two-handed skyward flick. Basic - Pole Vault: Stabbing one end of the Bo into the ground, its wielder uses the supple bend of the wood to carry their weight over an obstruction or even up to reach greater heights (note: retrieving their partner from the ground mid-vault will naturally diminish momentum) Advanced - Monkey's Tower: Not so much a stab as a mere placement, the adept has grown accustomed to balancing on the Bo itself and is able to perch easily at any point along its length, either at rest or while in motion. This technique is frequently used to maintain elevation in one's evasive efforts and resembles the deft movements of a monkey on the branch of a tree. Basic - Horse Tail Whip: With the Bo at rest behind one's head and laid equally on the shoulders, hands at either end, the illusion of an opening is complete. Should the opponent advance too quickly, the staff wielder may choose to engage them with a leaping outside kick (i.e. right foot traveling from left to right across the body) followed closely by the trailing foot, combined with a horizontal Bo swipe under the raised legs moving in the opposite direction. Landing side-on to their foe with the length of their staff held behind them, the disciple's deceptive tricks may continue from there. Advanced - Reverse Hornet Sting: With the Bo fixed securely to a vertical surface and extending at a perpendicular angle so as to fend off encroaching foes, the adept draws the opponent in to make the first strike but jukes away underneath the free end of the pole and emerges on the other side to leap over it feet first in a flying kick. Holding onto the Bo, one can rely on its strength and durability to enable the seamless change in direction and additional propulsion necessary to complete the technique smoothly. Category:Kitsui no Zouheishou